The Iranian Court has recently convicted two sisters and one man of adultery, sentencing them to death by stoning. The sisters, Zohreh and Azar Kabiri, were arrested in February 2007 after one sister’s husband reported them to authorities. They were convicted of “illegitimate relations” and were whipped for their sentence. They were returned to jail and six months later tried again, without defense representation, for the crime of adultery. This time they were sentenced to death by stoning. Their lawyer Jabbar Solati says that provincial courts have not followed procedure, and have tried the women twice for the same crime which is prohibited.

The third Iranian awaiting execution is a music teacher convicted of having an illegitimate affair with a girl. He says that she was his legal concubine, contracted in what is called a temporary marriage. His sister asserts that there were numerous procedural problems with the trial, including ignoring evidence of the contract.

Judiciary chief Ayatollah Mahmud Hashemi-Shahrudi is currently unavailable, but all three prisoners are attempting to appeal their case to him. Human Rights Watch, a New-York based non-governmental organization has called on him to overturn the sentences. They point to Iran’s participation in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which calls for the death penalty to be used in only extreme cases in countries that use capital punishment. The Covenant also provides that no one should be subjected to cruel punishment or torture, such as stoning.

Additionally, the Women Living Under Muslim Laws International Solidarity Network, and the Global Campaign Stop Killing and Stoning Women! has urged all concerned citizens to immediately contact the Iranian officials to request them to stop the scheduled stoning executions.

Compiled from: “Iranian May be Stoned for Adultery,” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1 February 2008; “Rights Group Asks Iran to Stop Stonings,” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 8 February 2008; “Iranian Court Sentences Women to be Stoned,” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 5 February 2008; “Iran: Stop Stoning to Death of Two Women: Zohreh & Azar Kabiri,” WUNRN, 4 February 2008.